Analysis from Piper Jaffray, which collated eBay prices for second-hand Samsung Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2 models as well as used iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 kits, found that the value of an iPhone falls at less than half the rate of a high-end Samsung Galaxy handset.

Perhaps reflecting the fact that iPhones’ arguably superior build quality makes them a better bet when buying an older phone, the study found that over an eight-week period the iPhone 5 lost 11.2 per cent of its value. In the same time, the Samsung Galaxy S3 lost 13.7 per cent.

The sharpest rate of decline noted, however, was for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, which dropped by 15 per cent, with consumers’ relative unwillingness to pay top dollar possibly influenced by speculation that a new edition of the Note will land in Q3.

Conversely, the ageing iPhone 4S performed best and lost just seven per cent of its value.

Report author Gene Munster stated: "The key takeaway from eight weeks of data is that the iPhone is holding slightly more of its value compared to the top two Galaxy phones.”

Prices of the iPhone 5 are likely to continue to hold up well until September when Apple is set to debut a new version of its all-conquering smartie.

Around this time, eBay is typically flooded with current-gen iPhones for sale as would-be upgraders look to offload their handsets on later adopters and bargain-hunters.

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